Multispeed drive axle



(preferably 3) l62.

i of the rotor, and materially reinforce the gear' 4against distortionin response to the stresses set up therein during, operation. j Y

Spur pinion 4I accordingly drives spur gear 42.at a speed reduction, theratio obtained de pending upon the, relative sizes of the gear andvpinion, it being understood the gear sizes will be so chosen to aifordthe proper ratioto suit the Yrequirements of the installationinvolved.

The innerl surface of gear 42 snuglyv opposite sides, limit axialmovement of the assembly by Vvengaging at one end a ring 12, secured tothe rotor, and the hub of rotor C at the other, it being understood thatsuiicient clearance is provided to avoid contact with the side gearhubs.

Planets63 also constantly mesh with sun gear `teeth 'I4 provided on asleeve or quill member 15 Y`'vided with external teeth 'I6 Aadapted tobe meshed with, teeth 59 on support 56.

with teeth'I'I provided inside hub 52 of rotor n The planetaryoverdriveu mechanism which transmits the power from the rotor to theaxle Sun gear teeth 74 are also adapted to be meshed The quiuis' adaptedto be shifted magiwdin'aily into its various operative positions bymeans shafts, and which is so designed as to compactly cooperate withtheV countershaft assembly, will now vbe described. The planetary rotoris made up oftransversely split Ysections 4'I-and 48," detachablysecured to-vv gether by bolt and nut'assembliesAS. Rotor sec# tions 41and 48 are provided with hub portions 5I-and 52, respectively,journalled in bearings 53 and 54. Bearing 53 is carried directly inaseat 55, inmain housing I0, whilebearin'g 54 iscarried in a ring-likesupport Y55 detachably secured to-'an internal web 51 in housing sectionVII by stud and nutY assemblies 58. Support 56'is also providedwith 'aset of-internal teeth 59, for a kpurpose that will presently appear.l

` The rotor is provided with a large Idiameter portion at its left-handend and a smaller diamfeterfcentral portion,spur-gear 42 giving theright-hand end of the rotor Ya comparatively large external diameter.The construction is nevertheless compact` by reason of gear 42 andthe'rotor extending inwardly beyond the periphery of bevel gear 21, inoverlappedrelation', and L the fact that support 32 for countershaftbearing 3| is located opposite and projects slightly into the spacevbetween the two large d iametervsections of the rotor. Disassembly ofthestructure is also readily accomplished because after1 vmain housingsection II has been removed, the rotor assembly may be bodily shifted tothe left a suiii.` cient distance' to Vremove bearing l53 from its.

outer race before rotor flange 4,3A will Contact bearing support 32. Assoon 'as thelrotor has been removed, closure assembly 36 may be removedand the entire countershaft assembly,including gear 2 1, slid to theright and out of the housingv Tightlysecured in rotor `section-S48 andinsa ring member 6I are a plurality of planet shafts Section 48 and ring6I at circumferentially spaced points, intermediate shafts 82, areprovided with matching bosses which are rigidly secured ,together inwell known manner (not shown) Journalled on each shaft 62 is a planetgear V63 which constantly meshes with aY-ring or orbit gear E4.. `Thering gear is detachably secured to a casingl 65 by means ofv bolt andnut assemblies 66, a pilot surface 61, being p tate of a yoke 18 havinga pair of pins 'I9 riding in a grcoverSI inthe quill. Yoke 'I8 isrigidly secured to a shaft 82 having an actuating lever 83 rigidlysecured thereto externally of the housing. Access to the shiftermechanism is obtained through an opening 84 in housing section II, whichis adapted to be covered by a. closure 85 detachably secured in place inwell known manner.

' Operation With the parts disposedin the positions shown, with teeth'I6 engaged withteeth' 59, sleeve I5 islocked'against rotation.Rotation-of rotor C, by means of the bevel and spur gearV reductions,causesshafts 62 to. travel in ancrbit about the axis of the rotor, andas they planeabout jstationary sun gear teeth I 4, they drive ring gearS4 in the same direction, but, at a greater rate of speed than casing C.The ring gear in turntransmits-the power y to casing 65, which in turndivides the power and When leverf83pfis'rocked further clockwise, tobring the quillinto vits extreme left-hand position and engage sun gearteeth 'I4 with teeth TI,

and to also allow-themtoremain in partial engagement with the planets,the planets are locked against rotation about their axes. The resultingtravel of `shafts 62 causes the locked planet gears to drive ring gear54 synchronously with the rio- 'tor, which results in casing 55 andshafts I2 and I3 being rotated synchronously with the rotor. The partsare accordinglydisposed in direct or a one-to-one driving ratio.

Itis to vbe understood that-the vforegoing shift operations maybecarried out' by momentarily interrupting the drive between shaft 2I andthe prime mover, as for instance by-releasing the clutch of anautomotive vehicle. Moreovenin the interest of simlifying thedisclosure, nc shift assisting mechanism has been shown, but it is to beunderstood that-any well knownform of deu vicek for facilitatingshifting the quill into engagement with its cooperatingparts may bepro'- videduwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Lubrication of the unit maybe effected in-a manner similar to thatdisclosed in my co-pend-V countershaft rather than being fixed to it,and a modied closure assembly embodying an auxiliary casing havingplanetary mechanism therein drivingly connected to both the countershaftand the bevel gear, to Secure two selcctlvely shiftable additional speedreductions, in accordance with the disclosure of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 413,540, for Multispeed drive axle, filed ofeven date herewith. n

From the foregoing detailed disclosure it is apparent that the inventionprovides a drive axle Y having three speed reductions, namely, a bevelreduction, a spur reduction and a planetary'reduction, and that thelatter 'is selectively shiftable into two different speed ratios, andthat the countershaft and planetaryV roter assemblies are associated innovel manner to provide maximum strength; compactness; simplicity landaccessibility for repair and replacement of parts, with minimum weight,and that a novel `housing assembly is provided whichfacilitates'disassemblyV and also permits interchange vof thecountershaft assembly with one providing an axle Vhaving two vselectively shiftable additional speed reductions.

The invention may be embodied in other speciic forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is therefore 'to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the inventionbeingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and rangeofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Although I have shown the inventionincorporated in an axle having atransversely split housing, it is to be understood that if desired acarrier type construction may beused, embodying a .one-piece axlehousing, in combination with a bolted 0n auxiliary housing or carriersupporting all of the gear mechanisms, without departing from the spiritof the invention.

What is claimed and desiredfto be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

1. In a drive axle, a'housing having a pair of axle shafts journalledtherein; a drive shaft mounted for rotation in said housing-'landdisposed substantiallynormal to said axle shafts; a countershaft mountedfor rotation between'V said drive and axle shafts and'disposedparallelto the latter; a bevel gear on said countershaft meshing with a bevelpinion on the drive shaft; a rotor mounted Vfor coaxial rotation aboutthe axes .of

said axle shafts and having a small diameter portion carrying a spurgear meshing with a spur pinion on said countershaft, said spur gearspurpinion and bevel gear being of'such diameters,

and said countershaftbe'ing so disposed with respect to the said rotoras to locate saidspur 'M gear and the end of the small diameter portionof said rotor-in close axialproximity and'in y radial overlappingrelationship withV said bevel gear, said rotor having a largediameterportion projecting axially to one side of and remote from saidspur gear and containing a two speed planctary gear mechanism; avdierential mechanism disposed in the small diameterV portion oi saidrotor, for transmitting power to said axle shafts, and means forrotatably supporting said countershaft adjacent said spurY pinion, saidAmeans projecting into the annular space between the large diameterportion of said rotor and thespur gear carried by said rotor.

2. In a drive axle, a housing having a pair of axle shafts and acountershaft mounted for rotation, therein about parallel axes; a drivegear on said countershaft; a hollow rotor mounted for rotationv aboutthe axis of ksaid' axle shafts; a spur pinion and spur gear fortransmitting power from said countershaft to said rotor; planetarymechanism in said rotor for transmitting power;`

fromy the latter'to said axle shafts, the end'of saidvcountershafi-Iremote fromrsaid bevel gear being carried in a bearing having,asupport'projecting toward said axleshafts, said spur gear beingdisposed between said bearing support and said drive gear in nestedrelationship'.therewith, n

said rotor being provided with an enlarged rdiameter section theother'side of said bearing support and containing an orbit gear` of saidplanetary mechanism.

3. In a drive axle, a housing having a pair of Y axle shafts journalledtherein and a drive shaft disposed substantially normal-to said axleshafts;

a countershaft mounted for rotation between 'said drive and axle shaftsand disposed parallel".

to the latter; a pair of countershaft bearings carried insupportslocated substantially symmetrically either side of said drive shaft; abevel gearY on said countershaft adjacent oneof said bear-v ings andmeshingvwith a pinion on said drive shaft; `a rotor mounted for coaxialrotation' about the axes of said axle shafts, and having agpair ofYspaced large diameter portions joinedjby a small`V diameter portion; thesupport for the otherrof said countershaft bearings being locatedbetween said large diameter portions; means adjacent onev of said largediameter portionsfor transmitting j power from said countershaft toVsaid rotor; and' planetary mechanism in said rotor for transmittingpower to said axle shafts.

4. The drive axle defined in claire s, wherein said planetary mechanismcomprises sun, planet and orbit gears disposed in one of said largediameter portions, and a differential mechanism disposed inisaidsmalldiameter portion. A

v5. The drive axle dened inclaim` 3, wherein4 one of said largediameterportionsjf said rotor comprises a spur gear. Y y

v6.l The drive axle dened narrow to permit apredetermined degree of endywise movement of said rotor with respect thereto. i

LAWRENCE R. BUCKENDALE. Y

l in claim 3, wherein the support for the jother of said countershaft*bearings projects into` thespace between-said' L .Y large diameter rotorportions, but is suiliciently

